Barrasso: American Elections Should be Decided by American Citizens

"As Democrats come to this Floor and fight to let illegal immigrants vote, they are simultaneously defunding American security. That's right. Democrats would rather stand with illegal immigrants than vote to protect law-abiding citizens."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) today emphasized his support for ensuring only American citizens vote in American elections. He also discussed how Republicans are putting Americans first while Democrats prioritize illegal immigrant criminals.

Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso's remarks.

Sen. Barrasso's remarks as prepared:

"Ten million illegal immigrants flooded into our country when Joe Biden was president. That is the last time Democrats were in charge of the United States Senate. Democrats now want those same illegal immigrants to have an impact on the elections in our country. Democrats are the party of open borders and illegal voters.

"Last week, the Department of Homeland Security arrested an illegal immigrant who voted in every federal election since 2008. He voted in Pennsylvania, a swing state decided by razor-thin margins. Every single time he voted, he signed a federal form. The form stated, 'I am a citizen of the United States.' Every single time, he signed yes. Every single time, he lied. He is not a citizen. He knew it was a crime for him to vote. He voted anyway because he could get away with it.

"That is fraud. That is a federal crime. And it happens over and over again. The reason it happens over and over again is that Democrats fight every single effort to stop it. That includes the bill before us today - the SAVE America Act.

"Yesterday, Republicans put every single Democrat in this chamber on the record. Now, all of America knows that Republicans support voter ID and Democrats do not. The SAVE America Act requires two things. One - Show a photo ID in order to vote. Two - Show proof of citizenship to register to vote. That is common sense.

"I believe only citizens of our country should be allowed to vote in our elections. I also believe you should have to show a photo ID to vote. The great majority of Americans agree with me. That's regardless of which political party they belong to. The American people overwhelmingly agree. American elections should be decided by American citizens.

"Do you know what the Minority Leader called that on this Floor on Monday afternoon? He called it, 'Fringe.' Let me tell you what is fringe. Nineteen states and Washington D.C. issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants without proof of citizenship. In many of these same states, obtaining a driver's license automatically registers someone to vote. No citizenship checks. No additional steps. No questions asked. No accountability. By the way, those 20 jurisdictions represent nearly 240 votes in the Electoral College.

"Look at the state of Oregon. Oregon hands out driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. When people get a driver's license in Oregon, they are registered automatically to vote. As a result, from 2021 until 2024, hundreds of illegal immigrants were added onto Oregon's voter rolls. It is now 2026. Oregon is still scrambling to clean up the disaster it created.

"This is chaos Democrats continue to defend. This is the problem that will be prevented by the SAVE America Act.

"As Democrats come to this Floor and fight to let illegal immigrants vote, they are simultaneously defunding American security. That's right. Democrats would rather stand with illegal immigrants than vote to protect law-abiding citizens.

"There have been 4 terror attacks on American soil in the past two weeks. People have died. What have Senate Democrats done about it? Last week, Senate Democrats came to this Floor and refused to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. Blood is on their hands.

"Fully funding the Department of Homeland Security is the best way to keep Americans safe. Yet for more than a month, Democrats have practiced the politics of pain.

"Democrats have defunded bomb prevention training classes. There have been several bomb attacks on American soil in recent weeks. That includes the bombing attempt in New York City. Yet right now, because of the Democrat shutdown, only one third of the instructors in the Office for Bombing Prevention are on the job. Training classes have been cancelled.

"Democrats are also withholding paychecks from TSA agents. Many TSA agents live paycheck to paycheck. All are working without pay. Increasingly, they're not showing up for work. Record numbers have quit. The problem is made worse because of the first Democrat shutdown in October. Travelers across the country have been waiting in security lines for hours. Democrats keep voting to make the wait times even longer.

"Whether it comes to the safety of our citizens or the safety of our elections, Democrats put illegal immigrants first and American citizens last. Republicans and most Americans reject the Democrats' far-left extremism. Republicans will continue to put American citizens first at the border, in our communities, and at the ballot box."

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